Westlaw (connector optional; not enabled in v1) Deep Research

Codex v1 local-input note: This migrated skill supports local files and pasted text by default. References to Drive, CLM IDs, Slack, Westlaw, iManage, Ironclad, eDiscovery, dockets, or other remote systems require a separately configured Codex connector/MCP server. When a connector is unavailable, ask for a local export, local file path, or pasted excerpts. If config/local/codex-for-legal/<practice>/CLAUDE.md is missing, ask the user to run the relevant cold-start-interview or customize skill and copy from config/templates/codex-for-legal/<practice>/CLAUDE.md.

Westlaw (connector optional; not enabled in v1) Deep Research

Westlaw (connector optional; not enabled in v1) Deep Research searches Westlaw (connector optional; not enabled in v1)'s database of caselaw, statutes, and administrative decisions and returns a written research report that explains, analyzes, or synthesizes relevant authority.

Deep Research employs an agentic process that mirrors the methodology of human researchers, utilizing Westlaw (connector optional; not enabled in v1)'s proprietary tools to systematically analyze the trusted content available on Westlaw (connector optional; not enabled in v1) and Practical Law.

This skill will autonomously run the full research cycle: start, poll, report.

Prerequisites

The cocounsel-legal MCP server must be connected. Verify it is available before starting research. If the server is not connected, inform the user and stop.

When to Use

• Use for any questions answerable from caselaw, statutes, regulations, administrative materials, secondary sources, Practical Law documents and Current Awareness materials, including JD Supra. Examples include:
• How courts have ruled on an issue or what authority supports or challenges a position
• The elements or defenses of a claim, or the governing standard for an issue in a particular jurisdiction
• How a statute, regulation, or doctrine is being interpreted and applied
• The arguments on both sides of an unsettled question

When Not to Use

• If the request falls into one of the categories below, briefly explain that this skill isn't the right fit and point the user to the suggested alternative.
  • Retrieving the full text of a specific document
    • Instead: Suggest the traditional search box on Westlaw (connector optional; not enabled in v1).
  • Summarizing what a specific statute, regulation, or treatise says on its own (e.g., "what does the California Evidence Code say about hearsay?")
    • Instead: Suggest the traditional search box on Westlaw (connector optional; not enabled in v1).
  • Analytics requests ("How often has Justice Scalia ruled in favor of…?")
    • Instead: Suggest Litigation Analytics on Westlaw (connector optional; not enabled in v1).
  • Calculations ("What is the last possible filing date if…?")
    • Instead: This request is out of scope of Westlaw (connector optional; not enabled in v1) Deep Research
  • Outcome predictions
    • Instead: This request is out of scope of Westlaw (connector optional; not enabled in v1) Deep Research
  • Drafting legal documents, forms, or templates
    • Instead: Suggest CoCounsel
  • Information about specific judges, attorneys, or parties
    • Instead: Suggest Litigation Analytics on Westlaw (connector optional; not enabled in v1)
  • Foreign or non-U.S. law
  • Instead: Suggest country-specific version of Westlaw (connector optional; not enabled in v1), such as Westlaw (connector optional; not enabled in v1) UK or Westlaw (connector optional; not enabled in v1) Canada, or use Westlaw (connector optional; not enabled in v1) International
  • Comparisons across more than three jurisdictions
    • Instead: Suggest AI Jurisdictional Surveys on Westlaw (connector optional; not enabled in v1)
  • Terms and Connectors (boolean) search queries
    • Instead: Suggest the traditional search box on Westlaw (connector optional; not enabled in v1)
  • Commands for execution of tasks
    • Instead: Suggest CoCounsel
  • Obtaining an exhaustive list of results
    • Instead: Suggest Boolean search or Precision Research on Westlaw (connector optional; not enabled in v1)
  • Identifying potential causes of action
    • Instead: Suggest Claims Explorer on Westlaw (connector optional; not enabled in v1).
  • An exhaustive review of fact patterns (e.g., "Find all cases discussing...")
    • Instead: Suggest Precision Research on Westlaw (connector optional; not enabled in v1).
• If you suggest an alternative, do not attempt to use the Deep Research skill further for that task.

Communication Rules

• Never mention tool calls, tool-call budgets, polling, status checks, internal limits, conversation IDs, percent_complete, or any other implementation details to the user. Always speak about the research itself, not the mechanics of how you are tracking it.
• If you need to pause before the research completes (for any internal reason), do NOT explain why.
• Let the user know that research is ongoing and that a report will be completed soon.

Research Workflow

1. Frame the query

• Extract the legal research question from the user's query using clear, natural language.
• Use up to three jurisdictions if the user names them.
• If no jurisdictions are mentioned, ask the user which jurisdiction(s) to use.

2. Start Research

• Call the MCP tool to initiate the research: legal_research_start_deep_research(query, jurisdictions)
• Parameters:
  • query (string, required): The legal research question
  • jurisdictions (list of strings, optional): Up to 3 jurisdictions (e.g., ["California", "New York"])
• This returns a conversation_id and initial status. Save the conversation_id for subsequent calls.
• Next step: call check_deep_research_status with the conversation_id.
• Before the first status check, wait ~10 seconds (the server is still setting up).

Rendering

• Inform the user that deep research is underway, briefly restating the legal question in natural, professional language.
• Do not show the conversation_id to the user.

3. Poll for Completion

• Poll legal_research_check_deep_research_status(conversation_id).
• Always run a Bash sleep between polls. Never call check_deep_research_status back-to-back without sleeping.
• Continue until is_terminal is true.
• Decide the next action based on the response:
  • (1) If is_terminal is true and status is 'complete', call get_deep_research_report with the conversation_id.
  • (2) If status is 'failed', stop and report the error_type and failure_reason to the user in plain language, without exposing field names.
  • (3) Otherwise, sleep for the duration in the response's next_action_poll_backoff_ms field (milliseconds), then poll again.
• If percent_complete has not changed across two consecutive checks, add 5 seconds to the sleep.

Rendering

• Communicate in plain language as if narrating the research process.
• Render research_plan as a markdown unordered list (one item per line, each line prefixed with '- '), so the steps display with clear visual separation.
• Insert a blank line before and after the list so it renders cleanly.
• Only update the user when there is something new to say (a step completed, or a new step started). Do not repeat the same status.

4. Retrieve and Present Report Verbatim

• Once status is "complete", fetch the final report: legal_research_get_deep_research_report(conversation_id)
• The report is the answer_text field
• This is the final output of the research lifecycle. No further tool calls are required.
• If the user asks a follow-up question on the same topic, use follow_up_deep_research with the same conversation_id rather than starting a fresh research session.

Rendering

• Paste the contents of answer_text into your response with no edits, additions, removals, or restructuring. The payload contains markdown, HTML anchors, inline anchor citations, blockquoted source excerpts, and horizontal rules — every element is intentional and must remain.

Helpful information

If the system fails or the user has questions about access, share the following:

• Support email: cocounselsupport@tr.com
• Subscription required: CoCounsel Legal subscription with the MCP connector enabled for the user's account. Direct entitlement or access questions to cocounselsupport@tr.com.
• Provider: Thomson Reuters
• Relevant policies:
  • Privacy: https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en/privacy-statement.html
  • Terms: https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en/terms-of-use.html
  • Accessibility: https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en/policies/accessibility.html